New Camera or How to Bargain in Korea

In desperate need of a camera for my upcoming trip to Cambodia (BAHHHH - we leave on Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), I headed to Gwangju with Alex and Jessica. Since we are all on vacation (for another month) and pretty much bored to tears, it was a grand outing for all of us.

As we walked through Keum-ho World (a HUGE multi-storey electronics market with just about every toy you could ever think of), I spied a lovely pink camera.... and the following, um, hard-core bargaining happened:

Me: How much is this? points
Camera Selling Guy: 22 man won (about $220)
Me: Oh, I want something cheaper. Do you have anything cheaper? makes flailing gesture with thumb pointing down
Camera Selling Guy: Okay, discount. 21 man won.
Me: Oh, um, okay, thanks. But can I see something else? flail
Camera Selling Guy hands pink camera to me I play with pink camera
Jessica: Where is the battery? What about the memory card? (and other technical questions)
Camera Selling Guy takes 1 Gb memory card out of his pocket Okay. Service (means, "I'll toss it in for free").
Me: still playing with camera Hey, this thing has a setting called "Flower". I think it may possibly be idiot-proof.
Camera Selling Guy: arrives with shiny pink case that clashes marvellously with the pink of the camera Service.
Alex: whining This isn't fair. You're only getting free stuff because you're pretty.*

Needless to say, being handed all sorts of free stuff AND the fact that the pink camera has a setting called "Flower" (and about a million other settings, including another puzzling one called "Auction") was a total selling point. So, um, now I own a shiny pink camera.

contemplating the lovely shiny pinkness of the new camera

AND, I am happy to report that it has the magical setting that, instead of "adding 10 pounds", transforms all photographed subjects into hotter versions of themselves. Yay.


See?

*By the way, Alex had a random guy walk up to him and ask to pose for a picture with him because he is "vely handsome guy", so he has nothing to whine about.

Bali Photos....

Fortunately for me, other people's cameras were not stolen while they were off enjoying themselves in Bali and Lombok. Here are some pics that I've "borrowed" from Jessica (in Mokpo) and David (an Australian guy I met on Gili Trawangan). At some point, I'll also borrow a few photos from Monique and Nina too.

Gili Trawangan:

No motorized vehicles makes for lots and lots of jingling pony carts.

Gili T is close to the coast of Lombok, which is dominated by a very big (and active) volcano. We would watch the sunset reflect colours on the clouds around the top. One night, Monique and I were actually able to see the very top of the volcano while we lounged in energy-eating pillow-stuffed wicker chairs and drank cocktails.

Torture, I tell you. Pure torture.

Yes, the water is *that* clear.

Ulu Watu, Bali:

Up on the cliffs around Ulu Watu - this is where I had breakfast exactly one week ago.

The pool at Rocky Bungalows, which is pretty much where I lived for the time I was there. We are up on a cliff - the view is amazing. The cat-sized cockroach that was in my bed was less amazing (and not cuddly at all!).

Jessica and I went to see the hour-long, sunset backlit, chanting and dancing show thing at the Ulu Watu temple. Really really amazing. So glad I had a chance to do that!

I've still got another week before we leave for Cambodia and there isn't much to tell.... it's cold here, which I've been using as an appropriate excuse to remain indoors, in bed, in the lovely heated shoebox apartment while Ty is at work.

Never a dull moment...

It's been a while... okay, here goes:

Nina and I enjoyed our next day in Senggigi as we spent most of the afternoon in a spa. You know on TV when they show a bathtub full of frangipani blooms? Yup - had one of those after my two hour massage. Very indulgent and wonderful.

We left the next day for Kuta (Lombok), to visit our friend Mary who is working on a PhD and whose research is based in Indonesia. She used to live in Mokpo, and it was funny to meet someone in the "wrong" country. But...

... there was a bit of trouble in paradise. There had been a string of robberies around Kuta, and we were not immune. Without getting into too many details, my camera was stolen (means no pictures of my trip!).

Nina and I headed back to Bali - in a small plane that hardly seemed air-worthy - to Ulu Watu, where we met up with Jessica. She'd come in from a climbing holiday in Vietnam and was looking forward to a few good days by the pool.

I came to realize that a) I had seriously under-predicted my budget and b) after being robbed, I wasn't too interested in spending the next 10 days on my own. I made the rather difficult decision to fly home early. So, here I am at the Denpasar airport, waiting for my flight back to Korea. I'll have a week or so at home, then head off to Cambodia with Ty... which I am really looking forward to.

So, unfortunately, I only have a few memories, a nice tan, and 2 sarongs to remember this vacation by. Oh, and a PADI Open Water certification....

Jessica was able to snap a few pics, which I will get from her to post as soon as she's back in Korea too.

Neener and Baginia hit the road

This morning, our lovely 100cc Honda scooters arrived. Ooooooh... never thought I'd be so happy to hear an engine purr like that! So, we set off randomly on a road heading south to Mantaram, figuring that it would be a city where we could pick up a few things. The ride there, between palm trees and rice paddies was amazing. We passed pony carts, bicycles, farmers with bundles on their heads... really magical. As we arrived in Mantaram, we were pulled over by a stern looking policeman. Nina, fortunately, had her International Driver's License on her, which he glanced at (and which she, thankfully, tossed to me while he wasn't looking for him to glance at for me as well). Relieved, we continued on in the dirt, pollution and noise of a 3rd World city.

The next thing we knew, we were being pulled over again. This time, the police officer took Nina back to the police box. I stood there for a while, then grabbed my guidebook and went over to see what was going on. Apparently, Nina had to "go see the Justice". Fearing the worst, I did what any self-respecting 21st century feminist would do and burst into tears. Sobbing, I explained that we were only trying to find the shopping centre and that we were lost and hot (all true, by the way) and we'd already been stopped before..... The police officers' demeanors changed rapidly, and we ended up getting a police escort to the mall. Chalk one up for blondes who can cry on demand.

Heading back to Senggigi, we decided to try our luck at a few of the posh resorts. It's low season, and most of them are standing empty anyway.... so.... tonight, we'll be in the comfort of a sweet resort called Alang Alang, and this for about $30 each. Tomorrow, after another scooter ride to explore the area, we'll be off to a spa (I'm planning on a 2 and a half hour treatment for about $35)... plans also include heading south to Kuta to see the surfers and enjoy the nicer beaches of Lombok.

So far, Nina's made my trip just that much more adventure-filled.... we'll see how the rest of the week goes.

From Gili Trawangan to Senggigi, Lombok

Well, it's been a while since I've blogged... and I suppose I should talk a bit more about Gili Trawangan, my home away from home for the past 10 days.

After Monique went on to Bali (and had her own adventures - all on her blog), my time on Gili T pretty much revolved around diving. Every day, I would wake up at stupid o'clock (the fault of the Mosque and the roosters), put on a bikini and a sarong, then wander to a sort of wooden pagoda thing facing the cobble stone street and the beach, where I would drink my coffee (and share it with three mangy inbred island cats) while I watched people wander by. Then, the hustle-bustle around the dive shop would start: People getting tanks and gear ready.... I never had to worry - my name was always on the board for the next dive. We'd dive in the morning, generally from 9 to 11 (from getting ready to getting back), followed by the habitual half-hour chat about what we'd seen, funny things that had happened (like the guy who scared away a 2.5 metre shark by belching at it), as we flipped through fish identification books and filled out our logs.

After lunch and a bit more relaxing (hey, I'm on vacation), the whole process would start again for the afternoon dive. Afterwards, I'd have a shower, relax and read some more (hahaha, spent a lot of time chilling out), then wander around to find a place to eat.

Except for a few evenings, I had mostly early nights in, watching the constellations from my balcony, writing in my journal.

I don't think I've ever, in my life, been able to do nothing so well. I mean, when I went to Cuba or Mexico, I was always figuring out what the next day's activities would be. Even last year in Malaysia and India, I was always on the go.... I'm blaming Ty for this new-found ability to relax. Even my shoulders feel looser.

And now, I find myself in Senggigi. I left Gili T in a rickety boat (NO lifejackets) this morning and arrived at .... a sort of shack near some palm trees. Perplexed, hopping off the boat, I was ushered into a pony cart (!!!) and taken to the "bus terminal".... meaning an open dirt field full of hawkers (who are always yelling "Nice hat, Cowboy!" at me because of my cowboy hat), confused tourists and stray dogs. Somehow, with a maximum amount of chaos (and they do this everyday?), each confused tourist was loaded into the appropriate rickety white van (NO seatbelts). The drive was gorgeous, chugging along a road that follows the top of a cliff, with waves crashing down below and bay after bay lined with palm trees.

I was deposited in Senggigi in front of a sort of internet place/tourist information/tattoo studio, where I met Zed (?) who filled me in on my hotel options. Then, he was like, "I will show you the choices. Leave your bag here and come with me", and motioned to his motorbike. I left my big pack (not my little one with all my money and important stuff in it) and hopped on the motorbike behind him (actually, it's quite common in Bali/Lombok to take this form of "taxi", so don't worry Mom) to book my room.

Senggigi is a place that, if I can believe my guidebooks, was supposed to be Lombok's "resort city", but it didn't really happen. Although there are many gorgeous resorts from large chain hotels (i.e. Sheraton), the rest of the place is a bit run-down. The sidewalks are crumbling or overgrown with vegetation. The whole infrastructure is here, the empty restaurants are all dark-wood tables and white tablecloths with fancy fountains.... but where are the tourists? Now, keeping in mind that I'm here in the off-season... but still.

Nina will arrive on her boat from Bali in about an hour or so. We'll probably see about renting scooters and exploring a bit (I want to check out a cliff-side temple where they sacrificed virgins to sharks), or taking a few day trips.

It's going to be a whole different scene from my past week and a half of total leisure.

Things I've learned so far...

A brief listing of how just a few dayson Gili Trawangan can change your outlook. In the past few days, I've learned...

• to Scuba dive, meaning assembling and disassembling my gear, swimming without flapping my arms or crashing into my instructor... I've learned how to flow with a current along the seafloor and let it take me where it wants to go, instead of fighting hopelessly against it....
• to play dominoes
• to talk to baby turtles in a wee homegrown hatchery - rather grassroots conservation effort. I just told them that I'd see them again in a few years...
• that on Gili T, once you've said "Hello" to someone, you keep saying it to them, every single time you pass them, even if it's, like, 14 times....
• how to walk slowly. What's the slowest pace you've ever walked at? Well, sorry, still too fast for me now.....
• to do nothing for a full day without feeling like that day was "wasted" - what else am I supposed to do here?
• watching crabs scuttle around on the beach is far more entertaining than TV could ever be

_______________________

Monique headed off, back to Bali today (one of "our" shop ladies actually kissed her goodbye!). We'll probably meet up again towards the end of the month. Next Monday, I'll head to Senggigi on Lombok to meet up with Nina. The next few days will most likely include a few more dives, as well as entire hours of staring at the waves.

Hope you are all well...

Diving....

I just got out of the water after about 45 minutes with sharks, green turtles and hawksbill turtles (THAT WAS AMAZING), a small ray, clown fish and an octopus.

WOW.

Greetings from Paradise...

I'm going to keep this short, since I can't even show pictures or anything.... suffice to say that Bali is a gorgeous place, with delicious food and really really nice people. There are temples and idols (to which numerous offerings a day are made) everywhere...

We've finally arrived on Gili Trawangan, to our INCREDIBLE FIVE STAR TEAK AND RATTAN BUNGALOW WITH EN SUITE STONE BATHROOM, and made a few friends with the locals (learned how to play dominoes just now...) already. It's going to be an interesting visit, I am sure.

So far, the following people have laughed at my name:

• The customs guy at the airport (then he asked me if I had any whiskey);
• The lady at the front desk at the Bali Sorgawi hotel in Kuta (she laughed twice, once when I was checking in, once when I was checking out);
• The guy on the bus to the ferry to Gili (he also asked me if I was a virgin... is this like a traditional greeting or something?);
• The waiter who then taught us how to play dominoes at the restaurant in Gili T (he also claimed that he was a virgin... ya, I can see this joke getting really old, really fast....).

Hope you are all doing well... am keeping fingers crossed for an end to the rain at some point. Scuba lessons start tomorrow, and I am just glad to finally be here, to finally be able to relax (I've been on the road pretty much living out of my bag since Monday....), and enjoy the atmosphere of this incredible island.

How to survive the Taipei Airport

1. Ponder fact that bag containing toothpaste and clean clothes has been checked through to Denpasar and won't likely be seen until one's arrival in Bali, if at all.

2. Get a free token (or two or three) from the bookstore. Put said token in the massage chair located behind the trees in the indoor garden. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

3. Wander around the overpriced designer stores for a few hours. Try every cream at the makeup counter. Revel in the fact that the staff *must* be nice to you because they are currently competing for votes for the "most polite staff" something something. Ha ha ha.

4. Resist temptation to take photos of self pretending to wait at the Hello Kitty themed gate, complete with bright pink chairs and Hello Kitty statues dressed like pilots. Wish briefly that one's own gate was the Hello Kitty gate.

5. Decide that the transit hotel is far too expensive for self. Sleep instead with jacket over head to block out 24 hour lights, shivering in the air con that keeps the airport approximately half a degree over absolute zero when all matter ceases to exist.

6. Awake to discover self in middle of bustling airport, most likely snoring at a decibel just below jet engines. Find Starbuck's and wait until it opens. Rush like a mad woman past all the Americans who are squinting at crazy Taiwanese prices then trying to convert to greenbacks in their hands, whilst flourishing Taiwanese Dollars left over from last visit. Feel briefly mighty.

7. Purchase pretty hand cream for self as reward for spending night on vinyl couch in airport.

8. Get another massage.... then settle in to wait fro 2 more hours until plane departs for Paradise/Bali.